


you are not born to follow the society (you were born to build it)

by kayteedancer



Series: November Challenge [15]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: BAMF Felicity Smoak, F/M, Felicity is done being mansplained to, but why is the rum gone?, oliver and digg are just here to watch the show
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-02-03 05:45:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12742182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kayteedancer/pseuds/kayteedancer
Summary: “Of course,” Douchebag McDaddy’s-Money proclaimed, sloshing around soda water (with lime) to make a point, “The Green Arrow’s hacker is far superior to the Flash’s.”Felicity knew she was good at what she did.  Hacking was like second nature to her, as easy and necessary as breathing, and it felt good to get some recognition about how amazing she is even if the guy didn’t know he was complimenting her.“Yeah,” the peacock continued.  “The dude’s probably some massive genius or something to be that good.  He’d have to be.”





	you are not born to follow the society (you were born to build it)

**Author's Note:**

> This one is really in just under the wire, wow. Hey everyone! Here's Day 15. The prompt for today was: _“What? No alcohol? At a schmooze fest? Do you want me to kill someone?”_.
> 
> I got some really strong Felicity bursting into rage at sexist men vibes at a QC fundraiser, and god, was it so good to write ;) XD
> 
> A massive shoutout to everyone that has read, left kudos, commented, and bookmarked. You all are so amazing and I have no idea how I would make it through this challenge without you. Thank you so much for your support <3
> 
> Last but not least, I would love to talk to you all over on tumblr (sleepeatdancedream) about this challenge, my stories, any fandoms we follow, or just chill and talk! I definitely wouldn't say no to some prompts either *wink wink nudge nudge*
> 
> I hope you enjoy this installment for Day 15!
> 
> Title is a quote by Abhijit Naskar.

Felicity Smoak was absolutely _pissed_.  With a capital P and cartoon smoke coming out of her ears.  Here she was at a Queen Consolidated fundraiser getting her job mansplained to her by men who don’t even have a fraction of the training and intelligence she has, and she had _no champagne to make everything go smoother._

Felicity sent a forlorn look over at the (alcohol-less) bar as another man proceeded to try to look down her dress.  She tuned out the sleazy son of an investor as she scanned the room for her partners in (sometimes actual) crime.  Digg she found easily, standing unobtrusively at the wall and shadowing Oliver’s movements with his own.  Oliver was besieged in the middle of the dance floor by women in tiny dresses, leaving nothing to the imagination as they pressed against him and jockeyed for attention.  Felicity felt her fingers clench on her tablet, white-knuckles straining against the screen as her smile turned fake and plastic on her face.

_God_ , she could really use a drink right now.

“Of course,” Douchebag McDaddy’s-Money proclaimed, sloshing around soda water (with lime) to make a point, “The Green Arrow’s hacker is far superior to the Flash’s.”  Felicity’s head snapped back toward the peacock in front of her, all her attention narrowed on his slightly dilated eyes and perfectly highlighted hair. 

“What makes you say that?” another (frat-tastic) son of a businessman asked the first guy.  A smirk came to Douchebag McDaddy’s-Money’s face as he reveled in the attention he was getting from his ~~lackeys~~ group. 

“Well, how does the Green Arrow know so much about everything?  How was he able to take down those corrupt people as the Hood, and that crazy Alderman, and that drug dealer that flooded the streets with Vertigo?  Because his hacker is amazing and was able to get him the info to do so, that’s why!” the peacock exclaimed and Felicity barely managed to suppress a proud smile.

Felicity knew she was good at what she did.  Hacking was like second nature to her, as easy and necessary as breathing, and it felt good to get some recognition about how _amazing_ she is even if the guy didn’t know he was complimenting her.

 “Yeah,” the peacock continued.  “The dude’s probably some massive genius or something to be that good.  He’d have to be.”

Felicity felt her thoughts grind to a halt.  Her eye began twitching as her smile froze on her face, a brittle, _angry_ thing.

“Why do you think the hacker has to be a man?” Felicity asked loudly, and the boys around her (they were not men, no way) stopped laughing and looked down at her condescendingly.  Felicity tilted her chin up defiantly, glaring at Douchebag McDaddy’s-Money and daring him to say something sexist.

“Well,” Douchebag McDaddy’s-Money sputtered, “Girls don’t get into that kind of thing.”

The twitching in her eye grew more pronounced.

“They don’t get into what type of thing?” she spat.  “Computers?  Hacking?  Vigilante justice?  What, do you think women only exist to shop, make you dinner, and be pretty to look at?  Are they only meant to be entertainment and to not use the brains in their heads for anything other than pleasing you?" 

“Alright,” Oliver’s voice cut in smoothly.  “I don’t think Keaton was implying that at all, were you, Keaton?”

Douchebag McDaddy’s-Money (whose name was apparently _Keaton_ ) had blanched as Felicity ranted.  Face chalk white, he shook his head vehemently.  “No, that’s not what I was trying to say at all!” he agreed, trying to cover for himself.

“Ms. Smoak, if you wouldn’t mind joining me for a moment?  I have a few questions to ask you about the progress on the R&D Department,” Oliver stated, grasping her elbow in a light but firm grip. 

Fire still burning behind her eyes, Felicity gave Douchebag McDaddy’s-Money a shark’s smile, too many teeth and murderous intent.  “Of course, Mr. Queen.  Gentleman, please excuse me.” 

Drawing Felicity over by Digg, Oliver’s socialite smile fell off his face as he muttered to her, “What were you thinking, Felicity?  Goading them like that?”

Felicity’s head snapped toward his.  “What was I thinking?  _What was I thinking?_ No; what were _you_ thinking, Oliver?” she whispered fiercely.  “No alcohol?  _At a schmooze fest?_   Were you trying to get me to kill someone?  The alcohol is the only way I can deal with frat-tastic daddy’s boys like _Keaton_ over there that actively try to look down my dress even as they mainsplain to me how to do my job _that they have never done in their lives and have absolutely no experience with!_ So don’t ask _me_ what I was thinking when _you’re_ the one who needs to examine their life’s choices!”

Felicity saw Digg choke down laughter out of the corner of her eye as Oliver’s face switched from concerned to confused to slightly abashed.

“I just thought that, after the last time with Laurel,” he murmured, and Felicity saw red.

“Do _not_ blame your awful choice on Laurel Lance,” she nearly growled.  “Laurel is grief-stricken over Tommy; I get that.  She’s an addict; I get that too.  But her getting outrageously drunk at a Queen Consolidated fundraiser a few months ago was the first time that someone had caused a drunken scene at one of these shindigs _since I began working here_.  Why would you do this to me, Oliver?  Just… _why?”_

Digg finally lost the fight against laughing and let out a single loud guffaw before he covered his mouth again.  Shoulders shaking with mirth, Digg gave her a sunny smile as his eyes bounced between her and Oliver like he was watching a tennis match.

A smirk quirked the edge of Oliver’s lips as he looked at Felicity fondly.  “I didn’t know you felt so strongly about this, Felicity,” Oliver answered finally and Felicity huffed, a blush coming to her cheeks as she looked away.

“I can feel you judging me, Oliver,” she muttered.  “Put your judgey eyes _away_.”

Oliver chuckled at that and placed a hand gently on the bare skin of her upper arm.  Felicity’s skin burned where they touched.

“I would never dream of it, Felicity,” he murmured, and with a squeeze of her arm his socialite smile had slid back in place.

“Mr. Diggle, would you please drive Ms. Smoak home?” Oliver asked loudly, fully knowing the effect his asking his driver to take home his assistant would have on the assorted gossipmongers.  “I can’t have the new head of Queen Consolidated’s Research and Development Department reporting to her first day of work tired, now could I?”

Felicity’s heart skipped a beat and a massive smile spread over her face as Digg nodded.  “Of course, Mr. Queen,” Digg replied, signaling Marshall to take over as Oliver’s bodyguard as he extended his arm to Felicity.

Threading her arm through Digg’s, Felicity looked back at Oliver with a sunny smile on her face.  “I will have my projected timeline for R&D on your desk tomorrow, Mr. Queen,” she chirped.

“I have no doubt that it will be completed to perfection, Ms. Smoak,” Oliver smiled.  “I have the utmost faith in your abilities.”

With that dismissal, she and Digg began to make their way through the crowd toward the exit.  As she did, Felicity caught the eye of _Keaton_ and his cronies.  Smugness and pride rose within her as she unleashed her brightest smile yet on the group of young men.

This evening seemed to be looking up even without the presence of alcohol.


End file.
